Business

Microsoft on Monday announced that Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) has been made available to business users. The update package also affects Windows Server 2008 R2, which is structurally similar to Windows 7. A Service Pack is a collection of all ... previous Windows updates and hotfixes, and typically includes enhancements and improvements. Its installation is much more convenient and often safer than installing updates on a patch-by-patch basis. Microsoft Hush-Hush about Windows 7 SP1 Release Date Up until now, Microsoft has kept fairly quiet about its first Windows 7 Service Pack. The company ... (view more)

Microsoft will next week unveil a series of security bulletins meant to address five security flaws. The fixes are part of the company's monthly Patch Tuesday release, and will most importantly fix a critical Windows XP Help Bug flaw in Windows' ... Help and Support Center. The series of fixes include four patches for the five vulnerabilities, three of which have been dubbed "critical" by Microsoft -- the company's highest level of alert. Each of these critical issues involve holes that, if exploited, could allow a hacker to launch a remote code execution attack upon an unsuspecting user's PC. ... (view more)

Microsoft has unveiled a beta version of their latest software offering called 'WebMatrix'. The free tool is intended to simplify application-based development on Microsoft's ASP.Net web platform. Among its many features, "the (WebMatrix) tool is ... free, provides core coding and database support, integrates with an open source web application gallery and includes support to easily publish and deploy sites and applications to web-hosting providers" according to a recent blog post written by Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president in the Microsoft Developer Division. (Source: computerworld.com ) ... (view more)

Are you still using Windows XP with Service Pack 2? If so, you'll want to take note of Microsoft's warning that it will terminate support of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) on July 13th, 2010. According to a recent PC Advisor poll, 37 per cent of ... respondents are still using Windows XP. Of that number, 15 per cent of those users still have not yet upgraded to Windows XP Service Pack 3. (Source: pcadvisor.co.uk ) Windows XP users who have not yet upgraded to Service Pack 3 will need to do so before July 13th, 2010 in order to continue receiving Microsoft's latest security updates. Without the ... (view more)

Microsoft has recently attacked Google in what critics say is the latest shot fired in the ongoing battle between the two companies. Microsoft openly criticized Google for their lack of customer support services. Microsoft has a reputation of ... offering consistent support via phone, email and online community sites like Microsoft Answers. Google, however, does little to offer support for their customers -- at least, according to Microsoft. Barbara Gordon, Microsoft corporate vice president of customer service and support, offered the following rhetorical questions as it relates to Google-based ... (view more)

With thousands waiting in line to get their hands on the iPhone 4, it's no surprise that Apple struggled to meet demand over its June 24th launch. According to the Cupertino-based company, 1.7 million units of the device shipped in its first three ... days of availability. The iPhone 4 marks Apple's most successful iPhone launch. Both the 3G and 3GS managed to sell over one million units in their first three full days on the market, but neither had the sales strength of this most recent device. The incredible sales feat beats most predictions made in the days prior to the launch. (Source: wired. ... (view more)

Microsoft is currently investigating the emergence of a new critical bug affecting users of Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The Redmond-based firm made the announcement via Twitter on Tuesday, and says the issue can be found in the dynamic link library ... (.DLL) file "mfc42.dll." Security firm Secunia posted a detailed report, which they say is based on a third party proof-of-concept exploit. It's suggested that the vulnerability can be exploited via PowerZip version 7.2 Build 4010, among other utilities that use the mfc42.dll file. (Source: pcmag.com ) Bug Affects Moderately Popular ... (view more)

Apple's iTunes Store has reportedly been hacked, with a developer named Thuat Nguyen using the opportunity to propel his own applications into 40 of the top 50 spots on the iTunes iBook section. The hack included unauthorized charges to hundreds, ... perhaps thousands of iTunes accounts. The story broke over tech blog TheNextWeb during the long weekend. Nguyen reportedly took advantage of a posted hack to the iTunes system and charged unsuspecting users for his own applications. The majority of these charges came for a set of books called Conan, Thuy Hu, and Vien Ngoc Rong, which all sell for $4. ... (view more)

While the Applie iPhone 4 has sold tremendously well, its launch has been mired by complaints of poor signal reception. It's been widely assumed this was due to the fact the new model is designed so that the antenna actually forms the perimeter of ... the handset itself. It appears that the hand, particularly if touching the bottom of the left hand edge of the phone, reduces the signal. One theory is that it isn't the physical blocking which is the issue, but rather than some of the energy in the signal is absorbed by the hand in the form of heat. (Source: tmcnet.com ) Apple Advertisements ... (view more)

Internet Explorer (IE) has given Microsoft reason to celebrate after almost two years of market share decline. (Source: techflash.com ) Internet Explorer 8 is leading all other competitors, with figures that are predicted to be more than three times ... that of rival Google Chrome. Internet Explorer, in the various versions that are still in use, now account for three of the four top market share positions. IE8 Currently 25% Market Share Internet Explorer 8 leads the way, with a 25.84 per cent market share. Internet Explorer 6 is the second-most used web browser at 17.17 per cent. Mozilla Firefox ... (view more)